Friday reader's view: Not bought and paid for

By DUSTIN ANDERSONof Midland

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, November 12, 2009

To the editor:

In a recent letter Susan Gessford stated, "If you are not bought and paid for by the insurance companies, you will agree with this and fight with me" (The only way, Sept. 29) in referencing the apparent need for single payer health care.

I do not support single payer health care, so therefore I am bought and paid for by insurance industry? This is news to me. But by this logic it would appear that I am bought and paid for by the agriculture industry as I do not support a single payer meals program. I am bought and paid for by the apparel companies because I do not support a single payer clothing program. I surely must be bought and paid for by the home builders association since I do not support a single payer home program.

In this debate, let us please stop with the ad hominems. Like any other good or service health care reacts to supply and demand. How is the demand for health care insurance any different?

Instead what politicians have done is institute policies that have altered the supply and demand structure of this industry and have put into place barriers of entry that disallow people to come in and give care for cheaper (across state lines for example). If we wish to make health care cheaper, further distortions of supply and demand and creating a monopoly (read, further barriers to entry) is not the way toward real reform and cheaper health care.